US President Donald Trumpwelcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday for alavish summit that was heavy on symbolism but light on substance, with no signof breakthroughs on thorny ​issues such as AI, trade, Taiwan and the war withIran.

The two leaders and their wives attended a state dinner, ablack-tie affair of sesame-crusted sea bass and a guest list heavy with ‌techCEOs. Outside the gate, a group of loud protesters shouted slogans like “China outof Hong Kong” that were clearly audible to the leaders as they posed forpictures on the red-carpeted White House steps.

In his dinner toast, Trump said he and Xi “both understandwe represent different systems but the ties between our people endure and we’venever gotten along better.”

Trump then invited dinner guests to tour the site of the newballroom he is building nearby, hours after showing Xi a helipad he had hadbuilt in the White House complex. Construction projects ​are a frequentdigression for a president who has put a lot of focus on remaking Washington’sphysical infrastructure.

Xi said he and Trump had in-depth discussions and reached “commonunderstanding on many issues” that provided “new strategic guidance ​forChina-US relations.” He did not elaborate.

“China and the United States must act as responsible majorcountries,” he said, calling for “a new approach for major countries to getalong ⁠with each other.”

The meeting was striking for where it took place – inWashington, even as scores of world leaders were in New York for the UnitedNations General Assembly.

It took place at a time of rising public concern about theswift ​growth of AI, and as Trump struggles to resolve a war his administrationand Israel began with Iran, which has sharply driven up energy prices andweighed heavily on his public approval as November midterm elections approach.

Taiwan talks

During a bilateral ​discussion in the afternoon, Xi urgedthe US to oppose “Taiwan independence,” according to a readout from theofficial Chinese news agency – addressing one of the thorniest issues betweenthe two countries. The White House has not yet provided its own summary of thetalks.

In remarks after Xi’s arrival on Thursday, Trump emphasizedhis “truly great friendship” with Xi, rather than focusing on policydifferences, and said the two powers had made strides on trade since his tripto China in May.

Somewhat more pointely, Xi said the two countries’ interestswere deeply intertwined and that competition between them should be a “healthyone.” US companies were welcome in China, he said, adding that he hopes “Chinesecompanies are treated fairly here in the United States.”

Xi also said both militaries should maintain regulardialogue to improve crisis prevention.

Personal vs. national

Edgard Kagan, a former senior White House official for EastAsia, said ​the contrasting rhetoric demonstrates the different strategy ofeach leader.

“The ​president is casting it very much as about ⁠his personal relationshipwith Xi,” said Kagan, now with the Center for Strategic and InternationalStudies. “What I found interesting was Xi is being much more cautious andsuggesting that it’s less about the personal relationship than the nationalrelationship.”

The summit, Xi’s first visit to Washington in more than adecade, is the second meeting this year between the leaders of the ​world’s twobiggest economies.

For Trump, who relishes ceremony and prizes his ties withpowerful leaders, the visit is as much a matter of national prestige as anopportunity ​for high-stakes diplomacy.

But Trump and Xi’s ⁠remarkswere not carried live by any US television networks, which refused to providefootage in protest of the White House’s ban of CNN, MS Now and Politico.

During his comments on Thursday, Xi said both countries must“ensure that the development of AI is always under human control.”

Analysts say intense competition between the two powers inAI is likely to limit the scope for anything beyond symbolic agreements.

There has been little sign Beijing is willing to exertpressure on Iran to yield to US demands. During Thursday’s meeting, ⁠Xi expressed support ​for theUS and Iran to return to a ceasefire and eventually negotiate a peace deal,Xinhua reported.

The guest list for Thursday’s state dinner ​includeD CEOslike Apple’s Tim Cook, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, OpenAI’sSam Altman, Tesla’s Elon Musk and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang. Despite such an array,people familiar with US plans say Trump is likely to maintain firm exportcontrols on US tech Xi wants loosened.